With increasing live weights of hogs, the industry is seeing heavier hog carcasses. In the past, the average live-weight was approximately 250 pounds; nowadays the weight of the hogs at the time of slaughter is about 285-300 pounds on average. Due to the increased size in hogs, there is an increase in the subprimal size and weight as well.
In today's market, retailers see higher priced “package rings” due, in part, by higher-priced protein and also to heavier subprimals. Heavier subprimals result in a larger loin meat product. Consumers are not interested in buying larger pork loin sizes nor are consumers interested in purchasing products that they do not recognize. These larger loin products take more time to cook, tend to not have substantial uniformity in thickness and/or width thereby resulting in inconsistent and uneven cooking preparation. New and innovative cutting procedures are needed to account for the increase in hog subprimal size and weight.